Shift bar for typewriting machines



Nov. 20, 1923 J. F. WILSON SHIFT BAH FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES FiledSept. 2, 1922 Patented Nov. 26 I923.

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. SHIFT BAR FOR TYPEWBITING MACHINES.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FRANKLIN WILsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Kensington, in the county of Montgomery and State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ShiftBars for Typewriting Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements intypwriting machines, and it more particularly relates to that part ofsuch machines known as the shift bars.

In recent years several of the large manufacturers of typewritingmachines have put upon the market a. model of a size and weight muchsmaller than the machines ordinarily used in business offices and whichis adapted to be packed in a small case so as to be portable.

One of the machines of this kind upon the market is known as theUnderwood portable typewriter. This machine has three banks of keys, andadjacent to the frame on the left hand side opposite the banks of keys,there are two shift keys, one for the fingers or numerals, and one forthe capital letters, and the case shifts are brought about by shiftingthe type bar hanger up and down by means of the shift keys. i he systemof typewriting taught in most of the schools at the present day andespecially to those who are blind or of defective eyesight, is known asthe touch system. Typewriting as taught by that system requires thateach hand should cover one-half only of the key-board and that thefingers of neither hand should go beyond the portion assigned to it. Inthe Underwood typewriter the writing of'such an address for instance asWashington, D, -C.'requires the right hand to leave its position on thekeyboard and come over to the extreme left portion of that part assignedto the left hand in order to reach the shift key for the capitalletters.

One of the objects of my invention, therefore, is to overcome thisdifliculty by providing a figure shift key and a capital letter shiftkey on the right hand side of the keyboard.

Another object of my invention is to provide separable shift keys whichmay be readily attached to the frame of the machine as it is now uponthe market; in

Serial No. 585,936.

tachment has been found of great service as it gives them practicallyall of the advantages of the larger machine, and can be put on at slightcost.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the means orfastening plate whereby my device is attached to the frame that itsadjustment may be somewhat varied so as to make a perfect adjustment.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a shift mechanismof the character described of great simplicity and durability both as awhole and in respect to each of its component parts so that itsmanufacture will be economically facilitated both as regards theproduction of parts and of their assembly.

With these and other objects in View which may be incident to myimprovements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to behereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that theseveral necessary elements comprising my invention may be varied inconstruction, proportions and arrangement, without departing from thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown inthe accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practicaleffect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applicationsto the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation,have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the right side of an Underwoodportable typewriting machine, (part of the same being broken away) withmy device attached;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the same part of the machineshown in F ig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the numeral key bar shift with itscontactfinger;

Fig. a is a detail view of the fastening plate by means of which mydevice is secured to the outer frame of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 ofFig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is adetail side view show- 28 of said bars pass under the roller 13, and p750 ing the frame for lifting the carriage, the stop shift bar and themeans for actuating said'bar. c

The numeral 1 represents the base of a typewriter case of a portabletypewriter and the numeral 2 the frame of a typewriting machine with theusual type keys 3, ribbon spool 4, platen 5 mounted upon a carriage 6adapted to travel back and forth upon a track 8 formed of a piece ofbentsheet metal. These features, howeverjneed not be further described asthey form no part of my invention.

In the angular shaped end of said track 8, I fasten in place by a screw9, or otherwise as maybe "desired, a metallic plug 11. whose outer endis threaded for the recep tion' of the screw-threaded end,of'abolt 12,upon which is mounted a small metallic wheel or roller 13 adapted tofreely revolve thereon.

Intothe frame 2 of the machine are drilled two apertures and in them arefitted the screw-threaded bolts 14. (see Figs. 2, t, which securely holdagainst the frame 2, the separable mounting plate 15 horizontallyslotted at eachend as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and having longitudinalridges 15 across its face. The numeral 16 refers to two verticallymounted platesfeach provided with corresponding ridged'or' serratedfaces, as seen in Fig. 5, so as to make more perfect the grip betweenthe resy iective plates and provide against any slippage whiclrotherwisemightoccur. 3 In the plate 15 is fixedly mounted one end of astud shaftor pin 17, (see Fig. 6) the outer end of which is screw-threaded for thereception of a nut 18. Upon said stud shaft 17 is pivotally mounted thekey-bar 20 having an upturned end or finger key 21 and the key-bar 22having a like key 23, so that the bar may be readilymanipulated by theoperator.

Between the frame of the machine and the nut'18, I loosely mount uponthestud sliaft 17, washers '24, 25 and 26, so as tospace the key-barsandthe farther ends 27 and when either is depressed by'the operator saidroller is slidingly and upwardly "engaged 7 thereby,thetrack'8felevated, and with it the carriage travelling thereon.

The normal position of the type keys upon the typewriter is such thatpressure,

exerted upon them by the operatonwill cause the lower case letters. orwhat are usually called the small letters. to strike the platen. Uponpressure exerted. however, on the upturned end 23 of the shift'bar 22,the carriage isso lifted that upon the striking of any of the type keysby the operator the letters or symbols upon the center of the type barwillstrike upon the platen 5. Itwill be observed, however, that theinner bar 20 has secured thereto by rivets 29 or otherwise (see Fig. 3)aadepending arm 31 having a contact finger 32. "Pressure when appliedupon the upturned end of the bar 20'will cause the depending arm 31carrying the contact finger 32 to swing so as to contact with the lowerend 35 (see Fig. 7) of the stop shift bar 33, thereby throwing the upperend 37 of said bar away from its limiting position over the foot orprojection 34 of the carriage lifting frame36 and permitting the latterto be stil'l' further raised to what may be termedcomplete elevation, sothat upon the striking'of the type keys by the operator the letters orsymbols upon the upper end of the type bar will strike upon the platen5.

If the respective parts of my device were to be made by the "companymanufacturing the machine, it would not be difficult to find the exactcenter 1'27 and pierce the frame at that point. In order, however, toenable the device to be put upon the general market, I make the deviceas illustratedand any ordinary mechanic can drill the frame at theappropriate pointsforthe insertion of the bolts 14 and 14, and the point17 can then be readily and exactly located by test and adjustmentwithout the necessity of further drilling of the frame.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, I wish it to be understood that Ido not conline myself to theprecise details'of construction herein set forth, by wayof illustration,as it is apparent that 'manychanges -and variations may be made therein,by "those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of theinvention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An attachment for a typewriting machine having a "shiftable platenand a stop shift bar, comprising aseparable mounting plate to be securedto the frame of the ma chine; 'a stud shaft attachedto theplate, and ashiftlever fulcrumed thereon adapted to be applied to the exterior sideframe of a typewriti'ng machine, and means operated by said lever toshift the platen, of a finger depending from said lever and contactingthe stop shift bar of said machineto elevate the platen when the leveris depressed,

2. In combination with a typewri'ting machine having a shiftable platenand a'stop shift bar of a separable mounting plate, an attached studshaft and a. shift lever fulcrumed thereon adapted to be applied to theexterior of the side frame of a typewriting machine, a bar dependingfrom said lever, a finger thereon contacting the stop shift bar of themachine to permit elevation of the platen, and means on said lever topressed.

3. The combination with a typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage, aplaten thereon, a shiftable rail upon which said carriage isadapted toslide, and a stop shift bar which when actuated permits the elevation ofthe platen, a demountable plate adapted to be exteriorly applied to theside of a typewriter frame, and a shift lever pivotally mounted uponsaid plate, of a finger depending from said shift lever adapted toengage said stop shift bar upon the depression of the front end of theshift lever and elevate the platen to receive the impact of the uppercase letters.

4:. The combination with a typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage, aplaten 'movably mounted thereon, a shiftable rail upon which saidcarriage is adapted to slide, and a stop shift bar which when actuatedpermits an elevation of the platen, a demountable plate adapted to beexteriorly applied to the side of the typewriter frame, a stud shaftextending from the plate and a shift lever fulcrumed thereon, of afinger depending from said shift lever adapted to engage said stop shiftbar upon the depression of the shift lever and elevate the platen toreceive the impact of the upper case letters.

5. The combination with a typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage, aplaten movably mounted thereon, a shiftable rail upon which saidcarriage is adapted to slide, a separable mounting plate adapted to beapplied to the exterior of the said frame of the typewriter, an attachedstud shaft and a shift lever fulcrumed thereon, a bar depending fromsaid lever, a stop shift bar normally holding said carriage againstcomplete elevation, a finger on said depending bar contacting the stopshift bar to move it from the normal position and permit said lever tomove said carriage to complete elevation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES FRANKLIN WILSON.

